In Another Life
by DarkCrow17
Summary: An AU where Erik grows up mostly in Wakanda than in Oakland. Fluff, angst as well as mischief and mayhem will occur. Eventual Erik/Shuri Cousincest
1. Chapter 1

**First off, I never intended to ship this before I watched the movie. Heck, I'm not sure if I even thought about it until Erik called her princess. Now my mind is in head-banging mode screaming "Why you like this?"**

 **But here I am, writing a fanfic. And not just any kind of fanfic, but a cousin romance one. I know my previous fanfiction was supposed to be that way, but I had no idea Lincoln Burrows was adopted, so therefore, Mckayla and Kaden aren't really cousins. And neither characters were canon, so they didn't count as much as Erik and Shuri do.**

 **So, here then, is my very first, cousincest fic, even if I don't consider cousincest to be incest.**

 **But before we begin, I want to clarify on a couple of things, 1 being that in this story, Erik and Shuri are only 5 years apart, instead of, like, 15. Let's close that age gap, shall we?**

 **2: this is kind of how I envision Erik if he wasn't evil. I'm not sure how many people reading this, know much about the Myer-Briggs personality types, but I believe Erik to be an ESTP (Look 'em up! They're on of the fun ones! And most dangerous). So, I'm going to portray him as such.**

 **Another thing: Erik has grown up mostly in Wakanda and will eventually become a warrior by T'Challa's side and work tech with Shuri as well.**

* * *

" _T'Challa!"_

Erik shut his eyes tight as the sound of his 10 year-old cousin rang through the air, cutting through the roaring market crowd and straight into he and T'Challa's ears. They thought they had evaded her.

They thought they had been sure to not tell anyone where they were going. How then did Shuri figure out where they went?

Beside him, T'Challa sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"Well," Erik said, "Don't just stand there." He yanked him behind a hanging rug.

"How did she know?" T'Challa bent down on his knees to keep a look out.

"Beats me. She must have overheard us." Erik leaned back on the pole holding the tent up.

"Ahem."

Both teenagers leaped in the air to see Shuri standing beside them.

It was all Erik could do not to swear in front of his 10-year-old cousin.

"How did you-" he sputtered.

"Going to the waterfalls without me, hey?" Shuri's mouth was pulled up into a smug little grin.

"You weren't supposed to know." T'Challa crossed his arms, his way of looking indignant.

"Well, I did, by way of the vents."

"You were crawling through the freakin' vents?" Erik shouldn't have been surprised, but the thought of the princess sneaking through the walls listening on every little secret she could get her ears on was a little disturbing. He could almost envision her eyes glowing in the dark, watching him while he slept.

"Now, listen." Shuri pulled a piece of paper from her dress pocket.

"What is that?"

"This," Shuri stood up straighter, "is a list of reasons why you guys shouldn't keep excluding me from your games and outings."

"Is that writing on both sides?"

"No interruptions, Mr." Shuri looked up at him in way that transcended her age. She cleared her throat.

"1: In case of an emergency, one of you can stay with the injured individual while the other one, namely I, can go get help."

"Shuri," T'Challa droned a little humorously, "I don't think that it's necessary."

"2:" Shuri chirped a little louder, "I'm small and can reach into places that you can't if you should find something you can't get to because of your sizes."

"Why the heck would we need to—" Erik was stopped short.

"3: I can mediate between you to with wisdom and reason should you two get into a fight."

"What do you think I'll do, throw T'Challa off a cliff?"

"FOUR: It is my observation that when teenage boys take their little sister or cousin along, it endears the opposite gender into infatuation."

T'Challa shrugged.

"She's not wrong."

"I don't believe this."

"And 5: you two always have someone to play with and I don't." Shuri lowered the piece of paper suddenly looking dejected. "I don't have any friends. Mother won't let me play with people not of royalty and there aren't any royals my age. I get lonely." Her brown eyes widen.

Erik snorted.

"Nice try, but it ain't gonna work, princess." He leaned back up against the pole and turned to T'Challa then felt his confidence deflate. "You've got to be kidding me."

T'Challa shrugged.

"She's got a point, Erik." He looked sympathetically at his sister.

"Oh, come on! You see that?" He pointed to Shuri's quivering lip and watery brown eyes, "It's an act! She knows what she's doing, she's trying to make you feel sorry for her! What princess doesn't know how to do that?"

The prince tapped his foot, obviously thinking things through and then sighed.

"Fine. You can come with us, Shuri."

Her tears were replaced with a smile and a sequel.

Erik groaned.

"But only for every other outing." He spoke up before Shuri got the wrong idea.

Shuri nodded and danced in place and laughed as she threw herself at her brother.

"I promise! I promise! I love you, T'Challa!" She squeezed his waist tight as her brother affectionately smoothed her tight braids down.

"Yes, she loves you, T'Challa," Erik quipped, "But only if you do what she tells you to do."

"Come on," T'Challa smiled, "Don't you want to grab Shaela's attention?"

Erik opened his mouth then closed it. He just had to bring the jewelry maker's daughter into this.

"Well, if that's the case." Shuri smiled impishly, "Then I'm riding Erik's back!" She lunged at him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, princess." Erik leaped back a few steps, "Who's says your riding anybody's back?"

"I got a rock lodged into my foot on the way over here." She lifted her foot then lowered it before Erik could verify. "So it hurts, but I'll be fine once we get to the waterfalls. Besides, if Shaela were to see me on your back, she'd notice you before she notices T'Challa."

She always knew how to play into what he wanted the most. Which is why he wasn't going to give in.

"Nice try, Shuri." He leaned against the pole, "Prey upon some other guy's desperation to grab a girl's attention."

"Alright." Shuri walked over to her brother, "I guess she'll notice how good T'Challa is with children."  
"Wait."

Shuri turned around with an angelic looking gracing her face.

"Fine. But just this once." He hunched down to let her up.

"Thank-you, Erik." She chirped sweetly.

"You're welcome, your highness." Shuri settled onto his back while he glared daggers at his other cousin.

 _I'm gonna kill you,_ he mouthed. T'Challa laughed it off. Did anything bother that guy?

"Well," Erik said, "now that we're finally ready to go-ow!" He felt Shuri's hand slap across his head, "What was that for?"

"Shaela's a brat who only cares how she looks." She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, "Wait for a better girl; one with a brain."

"I'll take her over the brat on my shoulders." He stopped as T'Challa raised an eyebrow, amused. "Wait, that came out completely wrong."

Shuri's laugh filled the tent.

"Are you sure? Because in the future, you and I could—"

"We are never having this conversation again."

T'Challa laughed as he pulled back the rug to let them pass.

"Duck, Shuri."

He felt her chin rest on his head as he stepped back into the market place.

"Can we please pick up a honeycomb on the way to the falls?"

Erik sighed.

This kid was going to be the death of him.

* * *

 **So…like it? Hate it? Please let me know! I accept constructive criticism, but please no character bashing and/or language. Ps. The amount of feedback will probably dictate on if I'll continue the story or not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everybody! Thank-you everyone for all of your reviews/kudos/followers!**

 **KnickerbokerGlory: Thank-you! To be honest, I was just making it up a bit as I went along, so it's good to hear that!**

 **Eyerish: Thank-you! You said you were obsessed with the shop as in the marketplace? A little of that is going to come pretty soon if that was what you were talking about. Briefly, anyway. Erik and T'Challa are the same age in this fic, 15 to start with. I'm not quite sure who is older yet, but I'll figure it out. As for Erik finding out about his father's death, I'm working on that. I've got something in mind to cut some of the drama in half, but I still need to think on it.**

 **Guest, JBOYKINS1; Rosebud on Royal Icing: Your next chapter is here!**

 **xSerenityIsn'tAlwaystheAnswerx: Yeah, I know, it's terrible isn't it? Like, the moment he called her princess, I had that feeling. You know, the shipper feeling? That's what I get for shipping people who so much as breathe the same air, lol.**

 **Bayumlikedayum: I'm SO glad you caught that reference, lol! I HAD to stick it in there somewhere when she started to list her reasons.**

 **Lollapalozzfanatic83: Wow, I'm not sure if I ever thought that this fic would be enough to convert somebody. Here is your next chapter!**

 **Something was brought to my attention by way of one of my ao3 reviewers, and that "something" was on Erik's Wakandan name versus his American one, which did cross my mind while I was typing the first chapter. I've decided that I'll make N'Jadaka his formal name.(like when a James goes by the name Jim). T'Chaka and Ramonda would call him by that as well as others who aren't close to him, like the palace guards and the servants, while people who know him intimately call him Erik. I'm thinking that might make it easy to keep with the name we knew him by in the movie while not ignoring his Wakandan name.**

* * *

" _Erik!"_

Erik quickly tore the sheet of sketch paper he was working on and shoved it underneath the sketch book. Tapping his charcoal pencil against the book, he leaned forward and looked down from his tree branch.

Shuri was smiling up at him with her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded impish.

"Just sketching."

"May I see?"

No!

"Um…sure." She didn't have to see _everything_ he was working on.

Shuri grabbed one of the tree knolls and began to scale the tree.

"Need some help?"

"No, I've got it." Erik braced himself all the same as she hoisted herself up to the next knoll.

She made it as far as the last one before her foot slipped with a cry. Erik sprung from his perch and grabbed her wrist.

"Gottcha!"

Shuri whimpered as she hung in air.

"You're alright, hey-hey, Shuri? Don't look down."

Shuri looked back up at him with terrified brown eyes.

"That's it. Just keep your eyes on me, okay? I've got you."

Shuri nodded.

"Atta, girl. Can you swing your other hand up? That's it." Erik grabbed her other wrist and slowly pulled her up onto the branch.

"There we go."

Shuri threw herself into his arms, clutching his waist like a steel trap. Erik hugged her back, rocking her gently.

"It's okay, princess; I've got you."

He felt her grip loosen a bit as she relaxed into his embrace.

Ever since she started coming with he and T'Challa on their outings six months back, Erik had grown rather found of Shuri. She grated on him less and proved to be fun and liven up their games and walks. He now wondered why he had ever found her annoying.

Shuri pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.

"Thank-you." She smiled sheepishly.

"No problem. Want to see what I'm working on?" He turned his sketch pad around and gently pushed it toward her, praying that she wouldn't turn to the last page.

"Sure." Shuri grabbed the sketch pad and smiled. "Is this T'Challa's suit?"

"No, it's a suit I'm working on for myself."  
she looked up at him.

"You want to be a warrior?"

"Maybe…I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Well…part of me wants to become a warrior and police the borders, but another part of me wants to become a scientist."

Shuri's eyelids fluttered before he got a verbal reaction.

"You? A scientist?"

He chuckled.

"I thought that'd be your reaction." He leaned his back against the core of the tree.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. I just never pictured becoming a scientist. You're too restless."

"Well, I'd be taking care of all the interesting parts; the tech discoveries."

"Ahhhhh." She scrunched her nose. "I'm still having a hard time picturing you as one."

"Well, while you're doing that, I'm going to tell you all the cool features my suit's going to have. It's going to be top rate with protective, but comfortable armor. I'm going to install boomerang-like throwing stars so I don't lose any. Haven't figured out how, yet, but I will."

"Well, installing some sort of magnets might be a good start."

Erik blinked.

"Come again?"

"Well, if you could somehow turn on and off a magnetic setting, then you bring them all back to you if the setting was strong enough. You could also install some tracking beacons as a failsafe for those who are out of reach."

Erik tapped his pencil against the branch.

"That's…a very good idea. Could you please hand that back to me?"

Shuri handed him the pad and he wrote down magnetic/tracking device.

He set the pencil down on top of the pad.

"Where did you learn that?"

"Oh, I'm at a middle school science level. My tutor thinks I can skip a grade even now, but he's not quite sure yet."

Erik felt his eyes widen.

"You're _that_ far ahead?"

Shuri's face lit up.

"Yeah. Mother says I might get an internship in the tech department next year, if I don't skip a grade. If I do, then I can start working as early as right after my birthday." She laughed. "Don't look so surprised, Erik. I've been fiddling with things since I was 6; it was bound to happen."

"Yeah…" Erik blinked, "I, uh, just never paid too much attention before." He cleared his throat.

Shuri cross her arms.

"If I keep climbing the ladder, then maybe I could pass you in grade level."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, princess." Erik held his hand up, "Don't you be thinking like that."

"Why not? I found out a strategic way to get into you and T'Challa's little club."

"It's not a club if it's only 2 members."

"It sure felt like it at times." Her shoulders slumped. "I never hung out with many people, but the few kids around my age that I did at times…" She shrugged. "I felt…out of place. They were still playing with dolls and action figures while I was reading science books and trying to figure out how the magnetic field worked."

She smiled again.

"That's why I like hanging out with you and T'Challa." She leaned forward and playfully punched him, "I feel like I'm with someone on my level."

Erik chuckled, rubbing his arm.

"Well, you're not too bad yourself, Cuz. You wanna see something?"

Shuri nodded eagerly.

* * *

"Where are we going?" She asked 15 minutes later as she and Erik made their way down a flight of stone steps.

"You'll see." Erik stopped mid-flight and turned the wall and felt for the edge of the golden panel. "Ah, ha." He found the little latch, flipped it open, then pushed until he slid the panel to the side, revealing T'Challa in a torch-lit room, staring back at them in surprise.

Shuri's jaw dropped.

"Whoooaaaa." She walked into the room in awe.

"What's going on?" T'Challa closed his book.

"I thought I'd show Shuri our little hideout." Erik shrugged, "She's hung out with us enough."

"This is so cool!" She jumped up into one of the rug-covered couches. "How long has that been here?" She pointed to a wall-length bookshelf filled with books inscribed with ancient lettering.

"We're not sure," T'Challa reached over and grabbed one of the books, "But from what we've gathered, we're thinking it's been here since as far back as the third generations of Wakandans."

Shuri gasped and took the book reverently, gently smoothing over the cover.

Erik felt his grin widen. He knew Shuri would love it in here. It was filled with mystery and history. As much as she loved science, Wakandan history was a favorite of hers, as well, even if she wasn't what people would call a traditionalist.

"You can come in here whenever you like," Erik he sat down next to her, "Whenever you want to study or if you feel like the world is too full of stupid."

"Stupidity." Shuri raised an eyebrow.

He heard T'Challa snort behind him as Erik rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. You know what I mean." He ruffled her head. "You sure you're only ten years old?"

"I'll be eleven in three weeks." She crossed her arms, "And don't you forget it."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Three weeks gave him plenty of time to bring the sketch in his pad to reality.

* * *

 **So what exactly is Erik up to? You're just going to have to find out until the next chapter is posted! ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, everyone! Thank you for all of your reviews/kudos/followers!**

 **lollapalozzafanatic83: Your next chapter has arrived!**

 **murvelous: Thank-you!**

 **daenerys and khal drogo 4ever: XD I pulled you in that deep, did I?**

 **PaigeG1213: You're welcome! And you can find even more Erik/Shuri fanfictions on ao3. That's where they all seem to flock to for some reason.**

 **Boomerbaby13: Another shipper has been born!**

 **Anyway, before we start, I would like to bring something to everyone's attention. It's a very good point that someone on my ao3 account made. The 6 months gap between chapters 1 and 2. The person found it jarring and on hindsight, I can see why. What had happened between those 6 months was a lot of development that no one got to see. The reason why I did this was because for life of me, I couldn't think of how to make it happen, BUT, I could pull enough brain cells together, would anyone be interested in reading a companion fanfiction to this, to fill in that gap? Please let me know in the comments below!**

* * *

Erik made his way through the marketplace, sketch pad underarm and a head wrap to keep the heat of the day from burning his head.

Shuri's birthday was two and a half weeks away so he had to make every second count to get her gift on time.

"Hey, N'Jadaka." The jewelry maker smiled as he stopped by his stand.

"Hey, Aram." Erik smiled back, "Do you have a moment?"

"For the nephew of the king? I have all the time in the world." He gestured to his shop, "Come."

Erik took his head warp off as he entered the shop and found out very quickly that it wasn't any cooler inside than outside. Aram's employees were molding and shaping gold and silver, fashioning them into jewelry of various shapes and sizes. A wall length furnace filled the room and Erik felt a tug on the corner of his mouth as he saw Shaela filling the furnace with coal.

"So what is it that you wanted to speak with me about? A piece of jewelry or my daughter?"

Erik quickly tore his eyes away from the girl to see Aram staring at him humorously.

"Relax, N'Jadaka; I was only half joking." Aram gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "What can I do for you today?"

Erik chuckled nervously as he pulled out his sketch from his pad.

"As you know, the princess's birthday is about three weeks away and I had an idea for a gift." He handed Aram his sketch.

"I've seen her admire the necklace around her father's neck. You know, the panther teeth? I'm looking to have something similar made for her only in gold with sapphires studded in the middle of the teeth which a matching bracelet and earring set."

Aram took the sketch and looked at it with a look akin to amazement.

"This is quite a detailed sketch. I like how you've added several notches to the necklace and bracelet; this way she can wear it for many years to come."

Erik nodded.

"That's the idea."

"This is quite an expensive endeavor and will need a few weeks just to make." Aram handed the sketch back to him with a grim expression, "There are no guarantees that it will be finished in time for her birthday."

Erik thought for a moment. He knew he should have brought it a few days before. He just didn't have the time with his studies and training.

"Do the best you can." Erik stated, "And if you can't get it in time, don't worry about it. I already have a gift I'm giving her on top of that, so this will be a bit of a belated present. Trust me; she'll love it more because she won't be expecting it."

"Well, in that case," Aram smiled and extended his hand, "This set will be made top priority."

"Thank-you." Erik handed him back the sketch and took a small sack tied to his belt. "Here's some money in advance; I'll have the rest when you're finished."

"Thank-you, Erik. You will not be disappointed."

"Hello, Erik."

Erik hadn't seen Shaela walk up.

"Hey, Shaela." He smiled.

"I'll go work on this now," Aram smiled and walked the other way.

"What brings you over to this part of the kingdom?" She put the basket she had been holding down and brushed the soot off of her skirt.

"Shuri's birthday is in a few weeks and I'm having something made for her."

"Ah, I see." She smiled, "Is that all you were here for?"

No, actually.

"I may or may not have wanted to see you as well." Erik cleared his throat.

"Really?" Shaela's mouth tugged into a sly smile as she crossed her arms.

"I was just wondering if you would like to take a picnic to the falls sometime this week."

Shaela's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Well…" She tilted her head, "I think I can make the time."

Erik's heart soared.

"Great. How about three days from now? I can pick you up at midday."

"Alright; I shall see you then."

* * *

Erik sketched a new angle to his panther suit and studied it. maybe he should consider a different color. He wouldn't want to be confused for the prince or the king.

A loud metallic bang ripped him from his thoughts causing him to jump.

"Is it true?!" Shuri's head stuck out from his bedroom vent in disapproval while the discarded grate rattled on the floor.

"Sheesh, Shuri! You need to stop doing that."

"Is. It. true?"

"Is what true?"

"Word is," Shuri crawled out of the vent and landed on the grate, "That you're now courting Shaela."

"I never told anyone that."

"Shaela's never been what you call discreet. I heard it from the maid who heard it from the cook who heard it from grocer whose daughter is friends with Shaela."

"Wow." Erik took a moment to ponder this. "I haven't even been home for 2 hours."

"So it's true then?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?"

"Do you remember what I told you about Shaela all those months ago?"

Erik searched his memory.

"Um…something about not having a brain?"

"Well, I was wrong; she does have a brain. She just exercises it towards something other than science."

She tossed him a memory stick.

"What's this?" Erik picked it up off of his bedcover.

"All the guys she's been with in the last two years."

"You _researched_ her?"

"Amazing what you can gather from a few newspaper articles."

Erik scrunched his eyebrows together.

"Shaela's been in the news?"

"Just plug in the stick." She crossed her arms.

"Alright, alright; no need to be so testy." Erik grabbed his tablet off his nightstand and plugged the stick in on the bottom. A list of 5 guys around his age or a little older appeared on the screen.

"What do those guys all have in common?" Shuri sat on the bed next to him keeping her arms crossed.

Erik scrolled through the list.

"Uh…they're all straight?"

Shuri palmed her forehead.

"They're the sons of the richest merchants in Wakanda!"

"So? A lot of wealthy people come to her father's shop because he makes jewelry. She's bound to meet a lot of wealthy guys."

"Yeah, but all five of them? There are a lot of guys vying for her attention but all of the ones she chooses just happen to be rich?" Shuri took a deep breath then folded her hands patiently, as if he were the child and she the teenager.

"Erik, I'm royalty. I'm trained to know a gold digger when I see one. Shaela just reeks of one. She's , spoiled , and, if you read the articles, she expects no less than the most expensive of what her partner can afford."

"She comes across pretty nice to me."

"Yeah, why do you think? You're the nephew of the king! If she can keep you then she's hit the jackpot. If T'Challa wansn't so hung up on Nakiya, then I can guarantee she would be trying to make moves on him; not you."

"You don't think you're reading into this?" The moment the words left his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. Shuri coiled herself tighter like a cobra about to strike. She took another deep breath and folded her hands again and tapped the side of her foot against his bed.

Erik tried a different approach.

"Shuri, I know you're only looking out for me, but I'm a big boy. I'll keep what you said in the back of my head, but her last boyfriend was six months ago; she might have changed since then."

She slowly nodded her head, but still looked perturbed.

"Alright; fine. I guess some people have to learn the hard way."

"Shuri…"

She hopped off of his bed and walked back to his wall and climbed back into the vent.

Erik threw his pencil against his pad and followed her.

"Shuri." He spoke into the vent, "Come on; don't be that way."

"Remember to stick the grate back on the vent." Was all she said as she crawled away.

"I'm…sorry?"

Erik leaned back his head and groaned before attaching the grate back onto the gaping hole in the wall.

What was with her? She was always a little high strung, but she was rarely moody.

Maybe it was just the onset of pre-teen hormones.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, everyone! I'm back with a new chapter for all you, Erik/Shuri loving folks out there! (Seriously we need a ship name. PrincessMonger? Shurik? Why hasn't anybody come up with a ship name yet? My personal bet is on PrincessMonger though I like Shurik as well ;) )**

 **Boomerbaby13: Thank-you! Yeah, Erik is kind of dense at the moment, isn't he? This is definitely a "Make-up" chapter between Erik and Shuri, and, as for the gold digger, we're just going to have to wait and see! ;)**

 **daenerys and kahl drogo 4ever: Awwwww, thank-you! I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that companion story yet, but I'll probably think of something.**

 **Guest 1: Oh, Erik will definitely notice eventually, and, trust me; it's going to hit his brain like an oncoming train!**

 **killmonger: Thank-you! And I love it when somebody notices those little Easter egg tidbits I leave in there! I'm probably going to throw in one or two more in the future, so keep your eyes peeled! (There isn't one in this chapter, sadly.)**

 **killmeatingbutte (is that you as well, killmonger?): OOOOOOOO, now THERE'S an idea!**

 **Guest 2: Thank-you! It's kind of amazing how many people started to ship this after fanfiction of it was created!**

 **Peepshow: Thank-you!**

 **Now I'm going to ask you all to bear with me a little. I haven't been feeling too well today, so the editing might seem a little off. This chapter wasn't originally going to exist, but I think it kind of needs to, just to show them making up, because it would be kind of weird to skip to the birthday celebration and have them still not friends again. On a side note, does anybody know how the Wakandans celebrate royal birthdays!? Because I'm at a loss and if there's a way to find out, I really should portray it correctly. Please let me know in the comment section if you guys have any tips!**

* * *

Erik ducked as T'Challa swung a right hook just inches away from his jaw then lunged at T'Challa's torso and pinned him to the ground with a growl.

"You're getting better at that," T'Challa observed before kneeing him in the stomach.

Erik fell off to the ground doubling over as T'Challa kicked him in the side.

"Alright! Alright!" Erik held a hand up, "Can we please take a ten?"

"Wimp."

Erik glanced over, surprised to see Shuri with a basket in her hands and a smug smile on her face

"Hey, _you_ try being kneed in the stomach then kicked in the side!" Erik pointed to the princess who just rubbed her free fingers against her nails looking bored.

"I still say you're a wimp."

T'Challa laughed earning a glare from his cousin.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." He sat on his hind then accepted T'Challa's hand up. "What you got there, Shuri?"

"Something for you."

"Something for me?" Erik couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. It wasn't like he was her favorite person at the moment.

"But not for me?" T'Challa pretended to sound hurt as he reached his hand to touch the blanket covering the basket earning a swat from his sister's tiny hand.

"No. I don't need to apologize to you."

Erik blinked. This was a peace offering? It had been three days since he and Shuri had had their little tiff and he hadn't seen much of her to be honest. Not for a lack of trying either. He had done everything he could think of from a card to a couple of freshly plucked flowers the day before, but none of it had seemed to reach her.

Until today.

"I'll go cool off." T'Challa grabbed a towel off of a nearby branch and swung it over his shoulders walking the other way.

Shuri couldn't seem to look him in the eye as Erik grabbed a towel of his own.

"So…is that something I can eat or is it a critter that can bite me?" He smiled at his own joke as he wiped the sweat off his face.

She cracked a small smile still not looking at him.

"Hey," he grabbed his white shirt, "I'm not mad or anything." He pulled the shirt over his head.

"You're not?"

Erik slid the rest of the shirt down his torso to see that Shuri was finally looking at him.

"No, I'm not. A little frustrated and confused maybe, but not mad."

"Sorry."

"No hard feelings." He sat on the stone bench and patted the empty space next to him. "So what's in the basket?"

Shuri sat next to him and set the basket on her lap.

"Well, remember what you said you missed the most about America?"

"My mother?" Erik couldn't imagine Shuri had miraculously raised her from the dead, as much as that would have been nice.

Shuri blinked a couple of times.

"Um, no, sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"Besides your mother."

Erik paused to think. There wasn't much he missed about America because he hadn't spent a lot of time there. He missed the more modern music, as well as playing basketball with the neighborhood children, and a few of the foods…

Wait a minute.

"Is it something edible?"

Shuri nodded.

"Something sweet?" he felt his hopes lift.

Shuri nodded seemingly unable to keep the smile off her face.

"Is it…fudge?"

"Yep!" She whipped the blanket off the top of the basket to reveal a plate of beautifully arranged fudge cubes shining in the sunlight.

"I found a recipe and made it myself in the kitchen. I hope you like it; it's my first try."

"Oh, you are forgiven." Erik reached into the basket and took a few cubes, "I mean, you were already forgiven, but you are beyond a shadow of a doubt forgiven now."

He took a bite and savored the sweet chocolate melting in his mouth.

"You nailed it," he finished his first cube in another bite. "I can't believe this is your first try; you nailed it."

Shuri beamed.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Want a couple?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah; you made them."

She shrugged.

"Okay." She took one cube and nibbled a little off the side.

"So," Erik finished last bite, "What was it really that had you so upset?"

Shuri froze mid-bite.

"Um, I," she shifted uncomfortably, "Don't know what you mean."

"Come on," he gently tapped her leg with his foot, "I've never seen you that mad before."

Shuri studied the fudge piece in between her fingers.

"I guess I…got used to it just being the three of us."

Erik paused to mull it over.

"Ah, I see. So, you found Shaelene an infiltration of our little group."

"I guess you could say that." Shuri polished off her fudge cube shifting in her seat again.

"Hey."

Shuri looked at him.

"Shaelene's not going to replace you."

"You sure about that?"

Erik chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure nobody could replace you, Princess."

"You dang right." She crossed her arms, a smug smile tugging the corners of her mouth.

Erik laughed.

"Now there's the Shuri I know." He playfully rubbed the top of her head.

"I forgive you," she said sweetly, "Under one condition…"

"What?" Erik pushed down the impending dread.

"That you lay off on any boy I bring home in the future."

"Whoa, whoa, time out here." Erik made a T with his hands, "No promises there."

"Why?"

"You mean I'm not even supposed to glare at him if he looks at you like a creep? Because I had plans, cuz."

"Oh, really?" She laughed.

"Yeah, you have no idea how many times a week I fantasize about offing a dude in the middle of the night for touching you the wrong way."

"Erik!" She slapped him on the arm even though she doubling over in laughter. "Please tell me you're joking!" She pressed her forehead against his arm, her shoulders still shaking.

"Of course I am; kind of." The reality suddenly hit him hard. In two years she would be thirteen, the age when boys would inevitably start to notice her.

Great.

Shuri leaned back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand taking a deep breath before laughing again.

"What?"

"Sorry," She palmed her forehead, "I just got this image of you creeping into a boy's room in the middle of the night with a dagger and eyes glowing."

"You don't mean to tell me that that's exactly what I'd look like?" Erik pretended to be offended.

"You're not that cool."

"Oh, really?" Erik crossed her arms, "You mean to tell me that I'm not cooler than your older brother?"

"Stop it; you're both equally cool in different ways."

"Meaning…"

"T'Challa's cool because he's kind and compassionate; the epitome of a future leader. You're cool in a bad boy sort of way."

"Oh, so I'm a bad boy now?" Erik cracked his knuckles feeling a smile grow on his face.

"Shut up and eat your fudge." Shuri stood on her knees and shoved a piece into his mouth.

Erik chuckled as he removed the piece from his mouth.

At least he and Shuri were friends again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everybody, I'm back and I'm sorry to keep you hanging, but I do have an explanation.**

 **For the last year or so I've been dealing with chronic carpel tunnel and writing has been a constant struggle for me. As well as other things like work, reading, etc and today I felt like I could get at least a chapter's worth of stuff in, though it's really killing me right now, so I wouldn't expect another chapter for another two weeks or so. Sorry.** **L**

 **Anyways, thank-you to everyone for your reviews and follows, your patience has been rewarded!**

 **As a final note, I'm not quite sure how birthday ceremonies in Wakanda are done so feel free to correct me on anything you see that's wrong!**

 **Roll film!**

* * *

The day of Shuri's birthday started out with a bang. Literally.

Erik nearly tumbled out of his bed as the sound of fireworks shot off into the sky.

The vibration of the explosion ripped through his walls as he gripped his headboard for dear life as he regained his composure.

His bedroom door opened and Shuri danced in with a laugh.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" She pranced over to his bed, a streamer flowing behind her, "Like the wakeup call I set up for you?" She poked his forehead with the end of the streamer stick.

"I should've known," Erik growled under his breath and covered his eyes with both of his hands, "What time is it?"

"It's 11:30!" Shuri placed her hands on her hips, "You promised me we'd go on a picnic to the waterfalls before my birthday celebration started which is only 4 hours away." She poked him again, "If you weren't out so late with Shaela…"

"She wanted to go dancing; you know how she gets when she's restless." He swiped at the stick only to have it pulled away from him in the nick of time.

"Did she know that you had a previous engagement with your favorite cousin?" Erik heard her tap her foot against the stone floors.

"Of course she did." _And yet she still persisted._ Erik reflected grimly on how she had pouted saying how he was "no fun". Erik liked dancing as much as the next guy, but he tried to let her down easy because Shuri was imported to him. He thought she understood that. Maybe there was something to what Shuri had told him about Shaela.

"Well, then." Shuri pulled him out of his thoughts, "You have no one to blame but yourself for this." She crossed her arms and sighed forbearingly, "If you're not up for it by 12:30, that's fine, but can we please aim for it?"

Erik sat up and looked at her. Unlike Shaela from the night before she wasn't toying around with his emotions or trying to manipulate him in any other way.

She was trying hard to hide it by looking away, but she was hurt. Her eyes never lied to him.

"Hey," he tilted his head to catch her gaze, "Hey."

She looked up at him.

"I'll be ready by 12:30." He climbed out of bed and stretched.

Before his stretch was finished, Shuri had her arms around his torso, "Thank-you, Erik!"

He patted her back.

"Not a problem." He held her at arm's length…then dove for her streamer.

Shuri leaped back with a squeal.

"Nu-Uh!" She hid the streamer behind her back, the light in her eyes returned.

* * *

"Nyla is amazing." Shuri popped a grape into her mouth an hour and a half later as they sat on the blanket overlooking the falls.

"She sure knows how to pack a picnic." Erik sat up on his elbows and reached for another apple.

"Mhmm." Shuri laid on her side making eye contact with him. "Are you excited about your upcoming traning?"

A month prior, Uncle T'Chaka had sat down with Erik to "Discuss his future".

"You may be a member of the royal family," He had stated, a firm hand gripped on Erik's shoulder, "But, like any member of the royal family, you are, first and foremost, a servant to the Wakandians. How would you think it best to serve them?"

T'Chaka and Erik had talked at length on and off for a few weeks and Erik had discovered that one of his gifts was fighting for others who couldn't fight back. Injustice angered him, and his first instinct was always to punch a hole in a wall because he couldn't do anything about the situation at hand.

Or could he?

After a lot of consideration and long night talks with his uncle, Erik enrolled to train in the Wakandan army.

"I love Wakanda," he stated to T'Chaka, "And everyone in it. I want to defend her should something come to destroy us."

T'Chaka's eyes sparkled as if he always knew that was the direction he would take.

"You're a good boy, nephew," he smiled, "And I see in you a better man. I cannot wait to see who you will become."

Unfortunately, this meant that he had to go to boot camp, which was a grueling 12 week session of the survival of the fittest.

This was probably the last time that he and Shuri were going to spend time together for the next three or four months because Erik was leaving the next morning.

Even though he was anticipating the challenge, Erik was going to miss this place and everyone in it.

Especially Shuri.

"Yeah, I'm excited," he sat up and dusted his hands off to grab another piece of bread.

Shuri had her mouth screwed to one side.

"You'll Skype me every night, right?"

"Nope." Erik dipped the bread piece in olive oil.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Shuri sat up and crossed her arms indignantly.

"What I mean is, I'm going off the grid." He chuckled, "No internet, no cell service, _kitu_."

Shuri looked as if the wind got knocked out of her.

"What? How will you… _live_?

"Like we were before we established technology in Wakanda. Tech is awesome, but what good is the army if it solely relies on it and it one day somehow gets snatched from us? Who will protect the country then?"

Shuri tilted her head.

"I guess I can see your point of view. But it's so…barbaric"

Erik choked on his bread trying not to laugh.

"What?" Shuri crossed her arms again.

"You have no idea, what it is to not live with so much as a television set do you, princess?"

"Are you saying that I'm spoiled?"

Erik tilted his hand back and forth.

"Ehhhhhh, a little privileged, maybe, but not spoiled."

Shuri raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, maybe just a little bit sp-"

"Ha!" She threw a grape at him, "I knew it!"

"Well, thank-you for just proving my point by throwing a grape at me." He didn't even try to hide the smile on his face.

"That doesn't prove anything! Why am I laughing?" Shuri laid on her back and covered her eyes with one of her hands.

"I don't know; you tell me, princess." By this point he had given up trying to hide his own laughter.

It was a silly thing, arguing royal privilege with a food fight, but he hadn't had this much enjoyment since before he had gotten together with Shaela.

Wait, what?

Shuri sat up.

"I'm thinking dessert now." She reached into the picnic basket, "I wonder what Nyla packed us." She pulled out a container and gasped.

"Koeksisters!" She pulled the cover off and picked up one of the sticky bread braids, "Does she know what I like or does she know what I like?"

"Can you pass the container over?" Erik reached out just in time for Shuri to sharply pull the container closer to her chest.

"You don't deserve this for delaying a full hour and half this morning!"

"Please?"

Shuri's mouth twitched wickedly.

"Ask nicely."

"How nicely are we talking here?"

"My nicely."

Why the little—

"We're not doing 'your nicely'."

"Please? It's my birthday."

Erik sighed then found his traitorous eyes wander to the container where the heavenly smelling braid loaves were calling his name. he could smell the mouthwatering ginger syrup from where was sitting mixed with the sharp scent of lemon. They looked fresh too, as if Nyla wasted no time getting them covered when they got out of the oven.

His pride be would just have to wait.

"Your glorious majesty," Erik bowed in front of Shuri, "I beseech your grace—"

"Mercy." Shuri's voice chirped vindictively.

"Mercy. I beseech your mercy and good graces to grant me the favor which I am about to ask."

"And what would that be?"

Erik lifted his head to see that she had crossed her arms with the container on her lap, her face barely containing her laughter.

"Your glorious majesty; I beseech from you…a heavenly, mouthwatering koeksister."

"Hmmm." Shuri tilted her head back pretending to be in deep thought and put on a show of "absentmindedly" placing the container right in front of his nose.

 _God,_ Erik prayed, _Did I kill someone in another life to deserve this kind of tortue?_

"Let me think about it." She tapped the side of her foot against the rock.

He must've killed someone in another life.

Erik suppressed a pathetic whine.

"I suppose," Shuri picked up the container, "That you can have one koeksister."

Erik sat up and reistied his eagerness of grabbing the bread braid and savored the tangy-sweet syrup that coated the loaf.

"Girl," he licked the stickiness off his fingers, "You are a cruel force of nature."

He looked to her to see a shadow had crossed her features.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She looked away and shrugged.

"It just hit me; I won't see you for three months."

He gently nudged her foot with his own.

"I'll be back before you know it."

"But what if you get sent on patrol right afterwards? Then I won't see you for six or seven months!"

Erik had never thought about that before.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder?" He tried with a smile.

Shuri slapped him on the shoulder.

"No? well, you know what would bring joy to this soldier boy's heart?" he kept his hand pressed to his chest.

Shuri rolled her eyes then looked back at him.

"A letter every few weeks from both of my favorite girls."

"Ugh; you had to bring Shaela into this."

Erik raised an eyebrow.

She looked away. "Sorry."

Shuri had held her counsel, but Erik always knew that she still held a strong dislike for Shaela.

Deciding to let it slide, Erik moved closer to her.

"I've got something for you."

Shuri perked up.

"What?"

"Well, you see, I've been holding my breath." He reached inside the picnic basket and removed the false bottom he had installed earlier, "Because I've been afraid you'd discover this before I was ready to give it to you, but it somehow slipped your notice."

Shuri's eyes widen with wonder.

"What is it?"

"Well, it might seem extravagant, but think of it as a going away present as much as it is a birthday present."

Shuri reverently grabbed the medium sized black velvet box.

"Dare I ask what it is?"

"Open it to find out."

Shuri cracked open the box and gasped.

She covered her mouth.

"Oh my goodness!" She opened it all the way. "No way!"

Erik felt a smile break onto his face.

"Yes way."

"You had this made for me?" She placed the box beside her and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank-you, Erik!" She kissed his cheek. "I will treasure this!"

She picked up the sapphire studded necklace and clipped it on.

"How do I look?"

"Like you are; a real princess."

* * *

The ballroom was abuzz with excitement as people were gathered to celebrate the princess' 11th birthday.

Shuri twirled with the neighboring princesses, her wrists and neck proudly displaying Erik's gift as her ears twinkled with the matching earrings.

Erik and T'Challa were sitting at a table just off to the side of the dance floor sipping wine and eating bread and cheese.

"We will miss you, Erik." T'Challa lifted his goblet so the servant could refill it.

"And I will miss you." He carved another piece of bread from the wooden cutting board. "And your running water. And your food and your servants and everything else that resembles a modern life."

T'Challa chuckled.

"You will have to tell me how it is when you get back. I'm sure you will have stories that would shock Shuri into senselessness at the uncivility of the wild."

Erik chuckled with wicked glee.

"I'll be sure to store up some for her." He leaned back and watched Shuri laugh at something one of the servants said while serving offering some milk tarts.

"She was…most unhappy when she heard you were leaving."

"Really? I mean I wasn't expecting her to be thrilled or anything, but did she tell you something specific?"

"No, but Mother heard her crying in her chambers."

"Man, you just had to go and make me feel bad about serving the Wakandan army."

"What can I say? I am quite known for being the bearer of good news." T'Challa smiled.

"Yeah, sure you are. Everyone's acting like I'm going to die my first week of boot camp. It's not like I'm fragile; I was half-raised in the slums of California."

"I've heard stories."

"What kind of stories?"

"Just stories."

Erik glared at him as T'Challa stood up with a laugh.

"I see a peppermint fridge tart calling my name. Do you want one?"

"Sure. And I'm not letting you off the hook of those boot camp stories; I'd like to know what I'm getting into!"

T'Challa laughed again as he left the table leaving Erik shaking his head.

"He's so full of it."

His ear suddenly perked at Shuri's name being mentioned at the table not far from his.

He turned his head to see it was the leader of the Jabari, Tadesse talking with his wife Miriam.

"She might be young now, but it won't matter in ten years."

"Tadesse, I'm not sure an alliance with Wakanda would necessarily bring be a harmonious thing. She might be young but I can already see the struggles ahead if she and M'baku were to wed."

Erik nearly choked on his wine.

Shuri and M'Baku? It would be the most mismatched pair in the entire continent of Africa. Shuri with her forward thinking and M'Baku with his stuck in the ancient past mentality.

Erik had no way of knowing how they would be in ten years, but from what he could tell at that moment, Miriam was right. They would make each other miserable.

He caught Shuri's eye and felt immense relief that T'Chaka would never sign off on such a match.

Shuri waved and skipped toward his table.

"Dance with me, Erik!' She laughed with outstretched arms.

"Can't you see I'm being swarmed by the lovely ladies of Wakanda? I don't think I could spare a moment." He sipped his wine.

Shuri laughed.

"I'm the birthday girl; I think you can spare at least one dance with me."

"Well I suppose so."

She grabbed both of his hands and practically ripped him to the dance floor.

"No Shaela?"

"She wasn't invited." He grabbed one of her hands and they danced a circle.

"Oh?"

"I needed a break."

Shuri stopped and gasped.

"My word! I cannot believe it!"

"Ha, ha, ha you're funny. She's not happy right now, believe me."

Shuri laughed.

"I did have a gold digger stab, but I'll drop my sword."

"Thank you."

She smiled impishly.

By the time they stopped dancing, Erik couldn't believe an entire hour had passed since she got him up from the table.

The music died down and gave way to the honorary ceremony of gifts. Earlier, Shuri had received gifts from all the Wakandan tribes including the Jabari. It was a way of being reminded that though she was a princess she was first and foremost Wakanda's servant.

Erik held his breath as she served the Jabari their gift.

"Thank-you, my dear," Tadesse commented with a smile.

He felt his heckles rise at the way he watched her as she walked away; like she was an investment, not a child.

Everyone else, of course was charmed by the eleven year old giving them gifts with her big smile and brown eyes, but Erik knew better than to be fooled. Underneath was a force to be reckoned with. A charming force, yes, but still a force nonetheless.

It was ten o clock when everyone started to filter out and almost midnight when everyone was officially gone.

"Erik, could you take her to bed please?" Shuri's mother handed her off to him, "I have to consult with the cooks about something."

"Sure thing, Auntie." He took her hand and led her down the hallways. No wonder she told him to take Shuri to her room; she looked as if she were going to fall over dead asleep at any moment.

"You have fun?"

"Too much fun." Shuri rubbed her eyes. "I think I'll sleep for an entire week."

"Lucky you; I have to get up early."

"Can you give me a piggy back ride?"

Erik sighed.

"Fine." He knelt down and she gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He stood up.

"You're getting heavy."

"Mhm…"

"I'm not sure if I'm going to be abel to do this when I get back."

"Sure you will; you will be big and strong and maybe I'll have a growth sprut but we'll break even."

"If you say so." Erik suppressed a smile.

They said nothing as they climbed the three flights of stairs that led to her room.

When Erik laid Shuri out on her bed, she seemed startled as if he had woken her up. She sat up.

"I won't see you tomorrow."

Erik felt a twinge of sadness as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"No." He said, "I guess not."

Shuri's shoulders slumped.

"But, hey, like I said," He clucked her chin, "I'll be back before you know it."

She swallowed hard like she was going to cry.

"I'll write."

"So will I. Want me to put your jewelry on the vanty set?"

Shuri nodded and robotically took off the necklace, bracelet and earring set. When he moved to take them she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Bye." She said.

Erik felt his heartstrings tug.

He swallowed.

"I'll see you later."

She handed him his jewelry and crawled under her covers.

Erik placed her jewelry on the vanity set then turned out the lights on his way out the door.

He sighed.

Man, he was going to miss that kid.

* * *

 **Phew! That was a longer chapter than I anticipated, so thank-you for reading this!**

 **And for those of you who were wondering** ** _kitu_** **is the Swahili word for "nothing". And Koeksisters are a popular African dessert as well as milk and peppermint fridge tarts.**

 **I know my absence was long, but please comment and let me know what you think! constructive criticism is always allowed but please no character and/or foul language.**


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